Belt-adjusting mechanism for tobacco booking and stripping machines.



H. L. ROBY.

BELT ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR TOBACCO BOOKING AND STRIPPING MACHlNES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. I6. 19!]. RENEWED MAR- 7.19IB.

Patented 0015.29, 1918'.

2 SHEETS SHEET 1.

BELT ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR TOBACCO BOOKING AND STRIPPING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. l6, um. RENEWED MAN. 1. I918.

1,283,309, Patented Oct. '29, 1918.

2 SHEETSQSHEET 2. 25.1295

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HARRY LQROBY; OF BARNESVILLE, OHIO.

BELT-ADJUSTINGMECHANISMFOR TOBACCO BOOKING AND STRIPPING MACHINES.

Application filed March 16, 1917, Serial No. 155,172.

To all whom it may-concern Be it known that I, HARRY L. Rom, a citizen of the United States residing at Barnesville, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Adjusting Mechanisms for Tobacco Booking and Stripping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvements of belt adjusting mechanisms for tobacco stripping and booking machines and has particular relation to improved means for automatically holding the leaf carrying belts taut or properly tensioned for efiective work.

The objects of my invention are to provide a machine ofthe class specified with means whereby the usual belts which carry the tobacco leaves over a central drum are automatically adjusted with reference to slack and tension;

To so construct and arrange myimproved tensioning means as to prevent slipping action of the belts and to compensate for the stretching strain which is ordinarily imposed on the belts during the operation of booking the tobacco leaves and by thus retaining the belts in proper contact with the drum or the leaves forming the books;

To insure the pressing by the belts of the entire widths of the leaves and prevent the wrinkling of the leaves.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and in which- Figure 1 is a rear view of a portion of a tobacco stripping and booking machine showing my improved tensioning means applied to three belts thereof.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view in perspective showing the connection of the spring controlled arms with the rear shaft of the machine and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the course usually followed by one of the belts. In machines of the particular class to which my invention relates, the tobacco leaves which are to be booked are fed into the front end of the same and on to a central and comparatively large drum which I have outlined at 1 in Fig. 4:. Through Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

Renewed March 7, 1918. Serial No. 221,092.

the medium of a plurality of endless belts passing over said drum and over desirably arranged rollers which are mounted in a suitable framework of the machine, the

tobacco leaves are fed on to the drum and booked or piled one upon the other between the belts and the periphery of said drum.

The means however, of both booking and stripping the tobacco are well known and as my invention relates only to the tensioning of the belts which are used, I have omitted from the drawings and specifications of this application a showing of the detailed construction ofthe machine. I have shown at 3 however, two of the side frame members of the machine between which the drum and various guide rollers are mounted.

l represents the leaf carrying belts which may be of any desired width and which may be of any desired number, although but three of such belts are shown for the purpose of illustrating my invention. These belts running over suitably placed rollers such as those indicated at 5 and 6, each belt leading from the roller 6 downward and rearward and over a pulley or idler 7 which is loosely mounted on the comparatively short horizontal arm or stub shaft 8 of a bell crank 9. The remaining arm of said bell crank being rigidly connected or formed with a sleeve 10 which is rotatedly mounted upon a transverse shaft 11 which is fixed between the frame members 3. It will be understood that there is thus one of said sleeves 10 for each belt and for each of the pulleys.

Clamped in connection with each of the sleeves 10, preferably in the manner indicated at 12 in Figs. 2 and 3, is one end of a rearwardly extending arm 13. 14 represents a yoke, the parallel arms of which have their ends a'flixed to the machine frame sides, said yoke being inclined downwardly and rearwardly as is shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. To the outer end of each of the arms 13 are hooked or otherwise suitably connected one or more coiled springs 15, there being two shown in the drawing. The lower ends of each pair of springs 15 are connected with the head or upper end of a rod or bolt 16 which extends looselv through the lower member of yoke 14 and has its lower end portion threaded as indicated at 17. This threaded portion 17 of each of the rods or bolts 16 is adapted to receive an adjusting nut 18,

between which and the collar 19 arranged on the under side of the lower member of the yoke 14, is interposed a short coiled spring 20.

In machines of this class it has been customary to depend on manually movable weights carried on arms extending from the sleeves 10 but experience has proven that the regulation of the positions of such weights is a diflicult matter and one which required close attention in order to impart to the belts the proper degree of tautness. In many cases it has been found necessary after the belts have been in use for a period of time to attach to these weights other heavy bodies for the purpose of taking up additional slack in the belts. By the construction of my device, it will readily be understood that all undesirable slack of the belts is automatically taken up by the springs 15 and 20; these springs being so constructed as to ordinarily impartto the arms 13 the desired downward pull and a consequent downward and outward pull on the belts. However, in case it is desired to increase or decrease the degree of slack of the belts, it is obvious that this may be readily accomplished by turning upward or downward the adjusting nuts 18.

It will be understood that my improved tensioning means is such as to admit of its being readily connected with well known fgrms of tobacco stripping and booking ma- 0 mes.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for I claim:

1. In a belt adjusting mechanism for tobacco booking and stripping machines, the combination with a frame and endless belts mounted to travel therein, of a fixed shaft, sleeves rotatably mounted on said shaft, an arm extending from each of said sleeves, a belt pulley carried by each of said arms, a second arm extending from each of said sleeves, a frame bar, and springs adjustably connecting said frame bar and said second named arms.

2. In a belt adjusting mechanism for tobacco booking and stripping machines, the combination with a frame and endless belts mounted to travel therein, of a rotatably mounted member for each belt, an arm carried by each of said rotatable members, a belt pulley rotatably carried by each of said arms, a frame bar, a second arm carried by each of said members, bolts extending loosely through said frame bar, springs interposed between said bolts and the ends of said second arms, adjusting nuts on said bolts on the underside of said frame bars, and supplemental springs interposed between said nuts and said bars. a a

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY L. ROBY. Witnesses W. O. CHAFFEE, J. S. I-IAVLIN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

